SHS graduate Wiley gets basketball scholarship to Evansville

Vincennes University sophomore Willie Wiley, a 2012 graduate of Springfield High School, is moving on to play Division I basketball following the completion of his two-year junior college career.

Wiley, a 6-foot-7, 215-pound forward, is transferring to Evansville, where he will play his final two years of college basketball.

“Coming here to Vincennes was a transition from high school to the next level,” Wiley said. “I played against more competition. I feel coming to Vincennes gave me a better opportunity to (succeed) in D-I now than out of high school.”

Wiley averaged 13.6 points and 8.3 rebounds as a sophomore for the 34-3 Vincennes team that finished third at the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I tournament in March.

“He’s a lot better player than he was,” Vincennes coach Todd Franklin said. “He didn’t play (as a freshman). We had a couple of All-Americans playing in front of him. He wasn’t ready to play last year. He handled it right.

“He knew he had to get better. He just worked at it. He didn’t complain, he didn’t pout, he knew what the situation was, stayed the course (and) got a lot better throughout.”

As a senior at Springfield High, Wiley scored 14.9 points and led the Central State Eight Conference in rebounds with 8.7 per game. He was an all-conference selection in both his junior and senior seasons.

Vincennes beat Harcum College 98-71 in the third-place game of the NJCAA National Tournament in Hutchinson, Kan., on March 22. In that game, Wiley had 20 points on 9-for-16 shooting to go with eight rebounds for the No. 2-ranked Trailblazers.

Evansville was 14-19 overall and 6-12 in the Missouri Valley Conference, tying with Drake for eighth place.

Franklin added that Wiley has just improved across many different aspects of the game.

“He got a lot stronger, he got a lot surer of himself on the block (and) just better,” Franklin said. “He plays well on the block. He’s good from 17, 18 feet out. He’s got a good jump shot facing the basket. He jump hooks over his shoulder now (and) he’s a much bigger kid now (approximately 25 pounds larger).

“He got substantially better while he was here.”

Wiley agreed.

“I’m facing up to the basket and I’m able to score that way,” Wiley said. “My back to the basket (game) is a lot better than when I was in high school. I’ve developed my jump shot better than it was in high school.”